Little Openings
by Artistic Ane
Summary: The ninth story of Jeanne's Fairy Tail. Between arcs, Jeanne finds herself in a few predicaments. These moments have her opening up her heart, little by little. (Rated T for later chaps)
1. Levi: Blood is Thicker than Water

Levy McGarden stepped out the guild with a smile on her face. Everyone was nearly recovered from Laxus's rebellion a week ago, the Raijinshuu were forgiven, and Jet and Droy were off training to 'better protect her.' She loved her two partners dearly, but occasionally they were just so suffocating. It was nice to get some time away from them every now and again. With that thought, Levy's smile broadened as she began her trek towards the boarding house.

She did not go far before she spied a familiar brown braid on the other side of the street, bouncing as the rest of the body slightly limped in her walking cast as she carried a fairly large package.

"Jeanne- **san**!" Levy called, jogging to catch up to the taller girl.

Jeanne de'Vajell turned a little with a confused face, but it quickly transformed into a genial smile. "Levy- **san** , how are you doing?"

"Fine, thanks. But how about you?" Levy asked, glancing at her friend's leg brace.

Jeanne caught her look and waved away any concerns. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. My brother's been healing my ankle. It's coming along, just not quick enough for me."

Levy raised her brows at the parcel in Jeanne's arms. "Is that supposed to explain the box?"

"Yep. I was able to get my old job at the courier's office. I'm only allowed local deliveries, but hey, if it pays for my house, I'm fine with it. I'm just lucky Hiro and Ima say I'm welcome back anytime."

"Isn't that heavy? I could help you carry it if you want."

Jeanne shook her head. "Can't let you. It's against the policy to let anyone besides the courier and the recipient touch the packages. Besides, it's just bulky. But thanks for offering." She turned to continue her delivery. Levy was soon at her side.

"At least let me walk with you a while. We don't talk a lot."

Jeanne looked at her with a blank expression, but Levy thought there was scrutiny or suspicion hidden in those blue-green eyes.

"If you want to say something, you should say it," she gently pushed.

Jeanne looked down at the street, seemingly in shame. ' _She tends to look down a lot,'_ Levy thought. ' _Why does she?'_

"You just want to make sure I'm okay, don't you?" Jeanne mumbled.

"I accept your accusation," Levy cheerfully replied. "But, also, I want to hang with you, Jeanne- **san**. I told you, we don't do that often enough."

Jeanne smiled broadly, eyes shining with gratitude. "Thanks, Levy- **san**. I appreciate it. But, if this hanging out becomes a habit, you'll have to drop the honorific."

"Same to you, Jeanne!" After a few moments of silence, Levy asked, "When have you worked at the courier's office?"

"Before I joined Fairy Tail, I did odd jobs here and there. I mostly worked for Hiro and Ima from ages… uh, lemme think." Jeanne looked up into nothing, making some quick calculations. "Seven. I was seven when I first started. And stayed on for, eight years, I guess, I stopped right after I joined Fairy Tail."

Levy stared with wide eyes. "Seven? You were seven?"

"I didn't do much then, mostly helped organize or read lists to Hiro. They are a sweet couple," she chuckled. "Not many people hire kids, even if they have a 'noble cause.'"

"Your poor siblings, though," Levy joked. "You gave them quite a standard to live up to."

Jeanne laughed. "I mostly did it so they wouldn't have to, so whether they follow along or not is completely up to them. But Rita, she's thirteen and is already making more than I did."

"What does she do?"

"She does housekeeping," de'Vajell answered. "She cleans and prepares meals. Apparently, she's been studying Telepathy as well, and she uses that to know just how her employer wants her to do things."

"Wow, resourceful."

"Yeah, I'm so proud of her."

Levy smiled at her friend's excited grin. As an only child, perhaps she couldn't quite understand how Jeanne felt, but maybe it was similar to the pride and joy you felt when a **nakama** accomplished an amazing feat. That was the sort of vibe she received now.

"As a matter of fact," Jeanne continued, "she's working at the address on the box, so I can introduce you if you'd like."

"I'd like that a lot," Levy replied. "I see you with your family a lot, but I don't think I've ever actually met them."

Jeanne looked a little surprised. "Really? I thought you might've met Aubin."

"Aubin?"

"Mmh, he's fifteen, and usually hangs out at the library. He's a bit of a story-teller."

"Oh, wait, I think I have seen him. Does he have hair color like yours that kinda barely touches his shoulders?"

"Yeah, that's him. He's never introduced himself to you?"

Levy shook her head. "No. He usually goes to the fantasy and historical sections. He always seems really invested in his books, I don't think he's even noticed anyone else."

Jeanne frowned a little. "Hmm… Oh, we're almost there. Just around this corner, and we're-"

She froze, and Levy was even more confused. Jeanne's eyes filled with shock, before burning with unbridled fury. Levy looked ahead, and saw two girls in front of a building.

One, probably around her age, had short, deep red hair, dressed in expensive-looking designer clothes, and was bedecked with jewelry. Her face was looked like it had the genes to be beautiful, but anger was contorting it in the ugliest way. She was yelling at the other girl with longer, dark brown hair. This other girl, obviously quite a bit younger, was cringing and shooting glances at the passing people. She looked terrified beyond words. She flinched as the older girl stepped forward with a raised arm.

Levy turned to look back at Jeanne, but was surprised to see that only the box was there, recklessly thrown on the sidewalk. Whipping her head back to the other two girls, she saw Jeanne practically stomping towards them, unlatching the crossbow she carried on her hip. She was speechless as she watched her **nakama** grab the older girl by the raised arm, swing her away from the scared one, and forced her back to slam into the side of the building before aiming her weapon at the jeweled throat, all charged up and ready to fire.

"Jeanne!" Levy cried worriedly as she ran to stop her from doing something drastic.

"You have five seconds," de'Vajell was saying in a dangerously low voice, "to explain exactly what you were doing before I decide to make sure you'll never be able to talk above a whisper again."

Levy reached them, and quietly asked the younger girl if she was okay. Her response was a hasty nod and a hesitant step away before crashing into Levy's comforting arms. Levy frowned in confusion as she turned back to Jeanne.

"What the hell? What business is it of yours?" the red-head demanded, once the initial shock wore off. She glanced down at the weapon, and caught sight of the guild mark on the arm that was pinning her. "Wait, you're from the guild? This isn't anything a mage needs to be concerned of!"

Jeanne scoffed. " _Bitch_ , I'm not here as a mage. I'm here as the extremely protective and majorly _pissed off_ older sister! Now, tell me, why were you yelling and threatening my little sister?!"

The red-head's eyes widened in fear. "Hold up! She was invading my personal property, and I was simply telling her that she was no longer needed. What's a kid doing working for a maid service anyways?"

Jeanne's eyes narrowed. Without losing her grip, she turned to her younger sister. "Marguerite, what happened?"

Levy looked down at Marguerite. She was trembling like crazy, her brown eyes were wide and fearful, but her her lips were in a determined line as she shook her head.

"I was helping her unpack, 'cause she wanted to soak in the tub but she wanted to get settled. She had such a long and uncomfortable train ride, I thought I would make the choice easier."

The red-head laughed derisively. "I said nothing about taking a bath or how my travels were! You just wanted a chance to pilfer something from my luggage!"

Jeanne pressed the end of her bow closer to her throat and added more magic to the flight groove, effectively shutting her up.

Levy stepped forward to pull her off. "Jeanne!" she cried, but the pair of arms around her tightened before she got far. Marguerite, still terrified, shook her head some more as she pulled the blue-haired bookworm farther from the two girls.

Jeanne, apparently, didn't hear her anyways."She's a _kid,_ Haley. You don't publicly humiliate kids or threaten abuse!"

"How did you know my name?" the red-head, Haley, whispered.

"What, you don't recognize me?" Jeanne said faux-lightly. "I suppose I do look different when I'm not being kicked into the ground by you and your little clique."

"Vajell?" she whispered, eyes wide.

De'Vajell narrowed her eyes, and continued, "Apologize to her, before I make good on my previous threat."

Haley, now positively terrified, looked at the youngest girl and said, "I apologize for my actions."

Jeanne released her captive, and the magic bolt in her bow disappeared. She stepped back a bit, but kept her weapon unlatched and at the ready. "Were you the one who hired her?"

Haley nodded.

"If you had carefully read her resume, or portfolio, or whatever the hell it was you saw with her info, you'd have known that she's studied Telepathy magic. That's how she knew you wanted a bath and to unpack. That's what makes her stand out among the other services. _That_ is what a kid is doing in a maid service."

She walked back to her abandoned box, picked it up, and shoved it into the recipient's arms. Levy gave a small gasp when she saw the unconcealed _hate_ in her friend's eyes. They were cold, completely unsympathetic.

"Package for Miss Haley Denver. Let's go, Rita." She walked toward Levy and Rita, grabbed her sister's hand, and walked away. Levy blinked a moment before snapping out of it and following.

Once they turned the corner, Jeanne's demeanor changed. She grabbed Rita's shoulders, and her face transformed completely from anger and hate into worry and concern.

"Rita, are you okay? She didn't hit you before, did she?"

"No," was the soft reply. "She didn't hit me."

Jeanne released a sigh of relief. "Thank the stars," she breathed as she gathered the small girl into a hug. Rita wholeheartedly returned it.

Levy, however, had to speak with Jeanne. "Don't you think that was a bit over-board?"

Jeanne blinked and looked at the shorter girl, releasing Rita. "What do you mean?"

Levy raised her eyebrows. "Jeanne, you assaulted that girl! I get that you were protecting your sister, but there could've been a better way. That wasn't the proper way to represent Fairy Tail! If Master saw how you were reacting-"

Jeanne interrupted. "If Master were here to see that, I wouldn't have reacted any different." She glanced to the side a little, before gazing straight into Levy's eyes. "Levy, I love Fairy Tail. Know that. I've looked up to them all my life, and wanted to join since I was six. I've always admired how seriously you guys take your bonds and oaths. And like everyone else, I'd do almost anything for any of its members. But first and foremost," she wrapped an arm around Rita again, "I take care of my family. You may be **nakama** , Levy, but Rita is **kazoku** , and I'll put them and their well-being over anyone in the guild."

Levy stood speechless as she realized just how serious Jeanne was about this. Jeanne gave her sister one last squeeze before saying, "I gotta go back to the couriers', okay? Will you be fine?"

"Mh-hmm. I'm okay. You need to hurry up and sit down. All that stomping you did isn't good for your ankle."

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

Jeanne rolled her eyes. "I'll live. See ya, Rita- **chan**. Bye, Levy!" She cheerfully said as she waved. Levy mutely returned the gesture.

"Um, McGarden- **san**?" Levy turned toward the younger de'Vajell. "I'm sorry you had to see her like that. And Jeanne- **nee** is, too."

Levy shook her head. "Sorry?"

"Well, right now, Jeanne- **nee** is freaking out about how you saw her get out of control. And she also really wishes she didn't speak to you the way she did."

Levy frowned. "Well, what's wrong with how she spoke? She was only saying how she felt. It's kinda surprising to learn that that's how she feels about us, but…"

Rita fidgeted. "And that scares her."

"What?"

The younger girl looked over to where her older sister disappeared. "She'd kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but she used to be very vocal and emotional. And that got her in trouble a lot. With Denver- **san** and others." She looked back to the older girl with pleading eyes. " **Nee-san** _wants_ to be herself again, but she's scared that even you guys in the guild would turn on her."

Levy was shocked. ' _Turn on her? Why would we do that? Doesn't she know what_ _ **nakama**_ _means?'_

Rita shook her head. "I don't think she quite understands it."

Levy stared. Rita blinked before looking horrified.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry!" She began bowing deeply before Levy could stop her.

"It's fine, Marguerite- **chan** ," she assured, lifting the little girl up. "Don't worry about it. But, what do you mean, she doesn't understand?" she pushed.

Rita bit her lip. "She knows that you guys would do anything for each other, and she _does_ feel the same. But, more than being there for her when she needs it, for support or anything, she just wants to fit in, and be **tomodachi**. But when she was little, stuff happened to her, and now she's kinda forgotten how to reach out to people properly. How to be herself and let others accept her for who she is. And she feels unworthy of friendship. So… she just kinda latches on to us. Because she feels blood bonds are stronger than promises, no matter how serious they are."

Levy sighed. "Blood is thicker than water, huh?"

"Exactly."

Levy thought back to when she told Jeanne that she just wanted to hang out. The look on her face, of sheer gratitude and happiness. Almost every one of them had experienced loneliness in some way, shape, or form. Jeanne had always looked happy, and she had heard her speak of her family with deep love and pride. She was always at the edge of a table, watching everyone with a smile, listening to conversations and ready to respond. Or searching at the job board, always with a teasing remark to Nab. But, she never spoke of friends, never joined a group, or had someone she was always seen with. Did even Jeanne feel some form of loneliness?

"Something like that… No one in our guild should feel something like that."

"McGarden- **san**? **Nee-san** does so much for us. She tries to hide it, but… Would you… would you please be her friend?"

"I thought I already was…"


	2. Erza: An Explosion of Emotion

One certain red-headed mage was on a mission. She knew that this was the house with the screaming kids. What she did not know was if her target was still residing here. She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

"The door! The door!"

"I'll get it!"

"No, me!"

"I want to!"

"Mama! Someone's here!"

' _Maybe this was a mistake…'_

The knob was turned and pulled by a lanky, freckled boy with thick, curly, dark brown hair. And he was flanked by a large group of six other kids, four girls and two more boys. The two smallest girls peeked shyly around the tallest one's legs. They all stared at their visitor with happy grins, while she stood on their porch a little uncomfortably.

Forget about Lullaby, _this_ was probably the scariest mission Erza Scarlet had ever taken.

" **Mes enfants!** " a voice called out. "Ambroise is asleep! Please try to remember that."

' _There is another?!'_

A woman waddled out of the hallway into sight, one hand on her bulging belly, the other on her lower back. She looked exhausted, but the smile she wore was still genuine and warm.

"You're Erza, right?" she asked. "Jeanne would tell us so much about you."

The smallest boy, with sandy brown fuzz for hair and large brown eyes, excitedly asked, "Do you really have magic to hide hundreds of swords?"

The oldest girl, with dark blue eyes and long dark brown hair held in two ponytails, piped in, "Do you work with Jeanne- **nee** a lot?"

"Why do you wear armor all the time?" asked the second girl, who could be the small boy's twin.

Erza was not sure how to respond. So many questions and eyes were watching her, and these were children… she could not just punch them out to ease her mind. She decided to focus on her mission.

"Is Jeanne here?"

Mrs. de'Vajell shook her head. "No, dear, she moved out a couple months ago. She's in an apartment in South Gate Park."

The middle boy, also with sandy brown hair, spoke up. "But, she wouldn't be there right now." His mother looked at him in surprise. "She'd be working at the courier's office now. But, she's gonna come here soon. I'm gonna help her with her ankle."

The lady of the house smiled up at Erza. "If you'd like to wait here, you're welcome to. But, if you'd rather go to meet her…"

"Thank you, ma'am." Erza escaped the dangerous situation, and sped off toward the center of town. She had questions for Jeanne, and she was determined to get answers.

She had been doing a lot of thinking these past few weeks, since the battle of Fairy Tail. She just could not fathom how Mystogan could have Jellal's face! There was no way they were the same person, as not even Jellal could use two thought projections at once. Plus, somehow, he was truly evil. Mystogan, she knew, completed any mission that he took, and he did it well. She did consider the possibility that maybe, if they were the same person, maybe the good side of Jellal -the side she knew and… well, the side she knew- somehow manifested to a corporeal form and took the name Mystogan.

Erza had confronted Master Makarov about him, but he had admitted to not knowing much. Well, even if he did not know, maybe Jeanne would. Something that happened at the cathedral told Erza that Jeanne knew something about the mysterious mage, something the Master did not.

She found her target standing in front of a bookstore, staring after a young blue-haired girl. Erza quietly walked up to Jeanne, who wore a face of confusion and surprise.

"Do you know that girl?" she asked.

Jeanne shook her head. "No, but Mystogan does… He regr- ERZA?!" She spun around and stepped back wildly, tripping over her brace, and began to fall backwards. Erza quickly snapped an arm out and grabbed her **nakama.**

"Are you okay?" she asked, pulling Jeanne up.

De'Vajell nodded her head, though she was still panting. "What the heck were you doing, sneaking up on me like that?"

"I had questions for you."

De'Vajell suddenly became very nervous. Her brow furrowed, and she stepped back a little more. "What kind of questions?"

Erza frowned at her comrade's behavior. "For starters, why so jittery all of a sudden? Are you hiding something?"

"Everyone's got something to hide," was the vague reply. "You included. It's no one's business but theirs."

"Yes, but if what you're hiding is dishonorable, then I make it my business."

Jeanne tittered. "Erza, if everyone could reveal what others thought of as dishonorable, then there wouldn't be a reason to hide it in the first place."

Erza held Jeanne's gaze with a steady stare. Jeanne fidgeted.

"What did you want to ask?"

"At the cathedral, you warned me not to look at Mystogan's face after Laxus destroyed his coverings." Jeanne visibly flinched. Erza's eyes narrowed. "Why would you do that? How did you know what my reaction would have been?"

Jeanne bit her lip, and looked to the side. "I _knew_ that would bite me in the ass…" She glanced back up. "I didn't know that you'd react like that. And I only learned what Mystogan looked like maybe five minutes before you showed up. But I did recognize that face. And I knew that you had dealings with that face before," she hesitatingly added.

"How did you know?" Erza demanded, towering over the younger girl. She was not much taller, but anger and intimidation caused the meeker one to shrink in fear. "How would you know that I knew that face so well, it'd hinder me in battle?"

"I didn't!" cried Jeanne. "I truly did not know that you'd cry! I didn't know that your Jellal died!"

Erza was shocked. "I… cried?"

Jeanne nodded. "I don't know if it was regret or relief, but you were definitely surprised to see that face again…"

"And how did you know that I would be?"

"I didn't know!"

"Then why did you warn me?"

"I thought you'd kill Mystogan!"

Again, Jeanne's answer surprised Erza. "Why would I kill him?" she asked.

"Well, he had the same face as the guy who betrayed you at the Tower of Heaven," Jeanne answered.

Erza did not even think about her actions. She acted mostly on reflex. Less than a second after de'Vajell uttered those last words, she pinned the younger mage to the closest wall, and pressed their foreheads together so that Jeanne could look straight into her eyes and see just how damn pissed she was.

"How do you know that name?" she asked in a dangerous voice.

Jeanne's eyes widened in terror for a moment, before surrendering and saddening. She looked completely broken as she said, "I've known about that slave prison island since I was nine, Erza. And about what happened to you on it. The day I first saw you, I saw what happened."

Erza bared her teeth. "What kind of dark magic allowed you to see that?"

Jeanne frowned. "'Dark magic?' Is that what you think?"

"I know of no other kind that would allow a person private information about the past," Erza countered. "What the hell were you getting up to at the age of _nine?_ "

Jeanne's eyes changed. Instead of a soft emptiness, they filled with hard, burning anger. Pushing against Erza's force, she said, " _Eight_ , Erza. The day I turned _eight years old_ , I started seeing these things. And not because of anything I did, dark magic or no. Do you know how hard and _scary_ that was? On what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, I suddenly had an ability to see images of people's worst moments? That for years afterwards, I'd suddenly know people's darkest secrets, and didn't dare to talk to them about it, because the moment people knew that I knew what I knew, they'd instantly do _exactly_ what you're doing now? Well, **damn tout a l'enfer** , I did not ask for these eyes! Why the hell would I _want_ to see that you had been worked and tortured near to death, or that the first time you had seen the Fairy Tail guild mark was on the back of an old man, as he was torn to _shreds_ in his attempt to save you?!"

As Jeanne spoke, her volume grew, and Erza felt a magical force trying to push her away. Jeanne's eyes began to glow slightly purple, and her hair began to rise. It was becoming harder to keep her grip on the emotional young lady.

"I don't _why_ I suddenly was able to see all that shit, but don't you believe for _one friggin' second_ that I _wanted_ to! Who in the _cursed Underworld_ would want to be filled with _other people's_ secrets?! I have a hard enough time hiding my own; I don't _want_ to be bothered with your time in slavery, or Lucy's daddy issues, or Gray's mentor dilemma, or Mystogan's shit-filled childhood, or Cana's parental problems! It's no one's business, but theirs! I never asked to be suddenly forced into it!"

With the last sentence screamed out, a strong wave of magical energy finally shoved Erza away from the unknowing caster. She was not expecting it to be so huge; it caught her off guard, and she did not quite nail her landing as she normally would have. She rolled a bit on the ground, and lay there for a while to catch her breath before she would rise to stop de'Vajell's uncharacteristic tantrum.

"Oh, **merde** , no."

Erza heard running footsteps towards her, and felt trembling hands at her arm trying to pull her up.

"Erza, I'm _so_ sorry! I-I don't know how I did that, or even that I _could_ do that! I mean, I knew that mages could release magical energy when stressed, but- ugh, I'm babbling! Are you okay?"

"The hell is wrong with you?" Erza asked, looking through her curtain of hair. Jeanne quickly retracted her hands. Erza pushed her hair behind her ears. "When you push people away, how are they supposed to know if you've been hurting?"

Jeanne frowned. "I'm not… I-I don't…" She shook her head. "I am not hurting."

"That was some pretty serious emotion, Jeanne. The most I've ever seen you portray." She thought for only a second before asking, "What was that about your eyes?"

Jeanne sighed and glanced to the side, avoiding any eye contact. "I don't know what happened. On my eighth birthday, I was able to turn completely invisible. And I had promised myself that I would join Fairy Tail the moment I could. But when I went in, I saw… oh, so many terrible things… I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if they were real, or if I was going crazy… Over time, I had learned that they were people's worst moments. Regrets, fears, pretty much things that they hoped others never found out. I learned that the hard way."

Erza remained silent, thinking about her own actions just now.

Jeanne continued, "Luckily, I learned that my glasses cancel it all out. I can't see anything with them on."

"Why didn't you just come to me?" Erza finally asked. Jeanne looked up at Erza in confusion. "You had known all about what had happened to me, but you never asked me about anything? Weren't you curious?"

De'Vajell scoffed. "Of course I was! But by then, I had learned that people don't want what I see to be even mentioned. And besides, you didn't know me, not even by reputation. You were so raw back then, the last thing you needed was a total stranger to bring up your nightmares. And finally, you were rather scary. I would watch you push away everyone who tried to get close to you. There was no way I was going to confront you about anything."

Scarlet looked back to eight years ago, when she had just joined Fairy Tail. Avoiding large groups, eating alone, pummeling Gray every time he spoke to her… Jeanne was right; she _did_ push people away.

"I was wrong to do so," she whispered, mostly to herself. A bit louder, she added, "I grew up surrounded by people. Not in the best of circumstances, but I did enjoy their company. I had thought that since I was denied that company at the time, I shouldn't enjoy others', like I'd be betraying my old friends by making more. But that just made me more lonely than ever. I was punishing myself for something that was out of my hands." An epiphany struck her. "Is that what you do, Jeanne? Do you deny yourself the bonds of friendship because you feel unworthy of it?"

Jeanne's eyes widened in realization, and she drew a shuddering breath as she covered her face behind her glasses. They just sat there in silence, until Jeanne slowly nodded her head. "I've seen things most people wished had never happened. And I have no right to know. If I befriend them," she uncovered her eyes, but kept her hands on her face, "and they find out that I knew what they feared all along, wouldn't that friendship be tainted? They might get the idea that they must do everything the way I want, that they can never make me angry, or I might spill their secrets. A friendship without trust… is that even a friendship?"

Erza took Jeanne's hands into her own gauntleted ones. "No. Trust in friendship is key. Tell me, did you tell anyone about me?"

Jeanne sighed and nodded. Erza's gripped slightly tightened. "My brother, the one just under me. Back then, I just couldn't… there were so many things… I thought I'd explode. Bay would never ask for details or names, he'd just sit and listen. I don't think he even bothered to remember everything."

"When was the last time you confided in him?"

Jeanne shrugged. "Years ago. I honestly don't even remember when I began keeping things to myself."

"So your brother knows that someone in the guild has my past, but he doesn't know who?"

"I don't think he even knows for certain it's someone in the guild… I'm pretty sure that I had only revealed that they had prison islands with children that they'd work to death…" She looked up with sorrowful eyes. "You saw some pretty horrible things there… I don't know how you manage."

"I don't think about it that much," Erza replied. "I still get nightmares, but I remind myself that it's gone now, and everyone is better off for it."

"The island's gone?" Jeanne asked. She smiled a little. "That's good, then. Was everyone set free?"

Erza's face sombered. "Not everyone. Some didn't survive…"

Jeanne gasped. "Oh, Erza, I'm so sorry."

Erza shook herself. "Everyone's better off for it," she repeated.

Jeanne nodded in understanding. "Was that all you wanted to know?"

Erza was confused a bit, before remembering the reason she had seeked Jeanne out in the first place.

"What do you know of Mystogan?" she asked. "How do they share the same face?"

Jeanne looked really sympathetic. "I can't," she whispered. "Something like that… They're not the same person, that's what's important. But unless he tells me himself that I can tell others, I can't tell you anything else about him." She hung her head. "I'm sorry. I just pretty much told you what he did… Before he ran away!" she added angrily, snapping her head back up again. "I mean, seriously! What was that about? Laxus could've been dealt with a lot quicker if he had just finished the frickin' battle!"

Erza was slightly taken aback by her friend's sudden attitude change, but that quickly changed into laughter. Jeanne stared at the chuckling redhead, who was trying her best to control herself.

"Oh, Jeanne, you really should speak your mind more often!" she finally said. "It's quite refreshing."

Jeanne smiled, but with little pleasure. "Well, maybe someday, I'll find it easier to do so again. If I keep getting feedback like yours, it might be sooner than later."

Erza, still chuckling, stood up and offered her hand to help Jeanne. The younger mage took her hand and gratefully accepted the help.

"I apologize, Jeanne," Scarlet said, truthfully, "I should not have acted in the way I did."

De'Vajell shook her head. "No, you were totally right to do so. I mean, I mentioned something that was very painf-"

"Okay, that's enough."

Jeanne blinked.

"Jeanne, I understand that you had been silenced before. Probably in very harsh ways." Erza's suspicions were confirmed with Jeanne's shameful glance to the ground. "But that doesn't mean you should stop speaking. I wish that I had been more calm and focused. Nothing can excuse the fact that I had the intent of harming my **nakama.** And nothing will excuse the actions used against you in the past." She looked sternly at her friend. "Jeanne, don't blame yourself for others' imperfections. Attacking you simply because you say what needs to be said or when you explain yourself is dishonorable."

Her face gentled. "You're very trustworthy, Jeanne. I thank you for that. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, now."

Jeanne looked up in disbelief, before her eyes began to well up with tears. She threw herself at Erza, capturing her in a tight hug.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you, guys, for the reviews! (: I reaped some ideas from them that I hope to utilize! Also, Guest: Jeanne is not actually a Holder type, anyone would be able to use her crossbow. Think of it like one of the magic car things: it simply siphons her magic energy and condenses it to a corporeal form._


	3. Natsu: A Quick Chat

Lucy was being weird again. She was talking happy words, but her eyes were spilling tears like waterfalls. All he did was mention that they should probably look for a job. Natsu was shaking his head at his partner, marveling at how strange she was, when he heard soft, happy singing, coming towards the guild.

" **Merry-go-round,** **mawaru yume no sekai ni, nokosareta kimi no yokogao…** "

Natsu stood up. "Jeanne's back!" he happily announced to his table.

Happy looked confused. "Where'd she go? I thought she was supposed to stay in the city for a while."

"I mean, she's coming to the guild today!"

"Oh, that's right," Lucy remembered. "Didn't you want to talk to her? Why didn't you just go to her apartment?"

Natsu stared at Lucy. "You know where she lives?"

"No, but I know that Mira does. You could've asked her." Lucy looked at Natsu suspiciously. "What did you want to talk to her about, anyway? If you're gonna make her fight you again..."

Natsu rounded on his best friend. "Happy! Did you tell her about that?"

Happy turned his back on the dragon slayer, nomming on his fish. "I don't quite recall everything I've told Lucy… Cats have bad memories, you know."

"You only forget things when it's convenient for you!" Natsu accused.

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded. "She probably only just recovered. Don't push her too hard."

Natsu sat down again and crossed his arms behind his head. "She's a lot stronger than she shows… I wasn't gonna fight her anyways."

"Then, why would you want to talk to her?"

"I just wanted to see how she was doing. It's been almost three weeks since Fantasia, why isn't she back yet?"

Lucy sighed. "Not everyone has the freakish ability to walk off injuries like you and Gajeel, Natsu…"

"Levy mentioned that she was working at the couriers' office," Happy mentioned through his fish. "I guess that was all she was able to do with all her injuries. Wasn't she there at the cathedral, Natsu?"

"Eh?" Lucy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Was she? Last I saw her, she was with you guys in the guild. Although, now that I think about it… I _did_ hear her voice when Warren- **san** connected all of us."

Happy nodded. "Yeah, I remember… She said she didn't want everyone in her head… Wonder what that was all… This fish is really yummy~!"

Natsu looked pensive. "I was there when she said that. She seemed really scared, she kept muttering to herself after Warren… Ah, well! It's not our business why she acted that way! If she wants us to know, she'll tell us herself!"

Lucy looked inquirabley at Natsu. "Why was she at the cathedral? I got the feeling from her that she didn't particularly like to fight… Why would she go straight to Laxus?"

Natsu shrugged. "She was only planning on finding out why he was acting the way he was. I don't know why she was suddenly fighting him. I think, in the end, she figured it out, anyways. Right before he activated Fairy Law, she ran right to him to stop him. She didn't need to worry about it after all, in the end. I knew he wasn't bad at heart. Still mad at **Ji-chan** for expelling him," he muttered sullenly.

Lucy sighed again. "Makes sense, though. He broke one of the most sacred rules of Fairy Tail. Master had to do what he would've done to any other member of the guild."

"You'd think that he'd get a second chance, though," Natsu argued.

The stellar mage shook her head. "From what I've gathered, he'd been offered many chances to step down, to think about what he was doing. In the end, he had many second chances, and he used them all up."

"Natsu," Happy piped up. "Jeanne's about to leave again…"

Natsu stood up quickly, he seat clattering to the floor behind him. While he was talking to the other two, Jeanne had entered the guild, picked up a job from the request board, chatted with Mira, and was just about to exit the building.

"Yaah!" he cried. "Why'd you guys distract me?!" He sprinted to the doors, knocking over many people, causing a lot of yelling.

Natsu supposed it was a good thing, since the commotion caused Jeanne to spin around. However, she stopped and turned before he lost momentum. He screeched to a stop just as she finished turning, and he was all up in her face. Her eyes widened, then screwed shut.

"Kyah!"

Next thing Natsu knew, his bottom jaw was smarting, and he took a couple steps back, reeling slightly from the clean uppercut Jeanne delivered.

"Natsu? Oh crap, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine," Natsu assured, rubbing his jaw. "It didn't hurt that much. Guess it was my fault for not slowing down sooner."

Jeanne looked a bit surprised, then peeked behind him. Whatever she saw must have freaked her out a bit, though, cuz she turned really red, and began to leave again. Natsu looked over his shoulder, and saw many guild members staring at the pair. Most of them in shock.

Natsu was confused. "What's everyone staring at…?" he muttered. Then he realized Jeanne was missing. "Ah! Jeanne, wait!"

He ran out of the guild, and searched for the concealing mage. She had not gone far, so when he spotted her, he easily caught up.

"Oi, Jeanne! Did you find a job?"

Jeanne brought her hands down from her face, which was still a little pink. "Uh, yeah… It's been three weeks… My wallet's getting a bit low, even from all the part-time stuff. If I don't get a good one, I'm gonna be short on my share of the payment." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you want something?"

"I just wanted to see how you've been doing. Levy mentioned that you had a cast but you were still working. If you were that much better, why not come to the guild sooner?"

Jeanne huffed. "I was _forbidden,_ " she muttered, distastefully. "My little brother is studying to be a healer, and he _ordered_ me to not use any magic for a while, until my ankle was healed. That way, during our sessions, I'd use all the magic I had to help him heal it… And any time I tried to go to the guild, I'd get a different sibling dragging me back to my parents' home! Never mind that sometimes we get local jobs posted, since I've only ever taken the ones from out of town, they don't believe me, and they don't trust me to not take one of those anyway…" She continued muttering, and Natsu simply stared. Jeanne could be as weird as Lucy, it seemed.

"So what job did you choose?" he interrupted.

Jeanne snapped out of her quiet tirade. Her cheeks became red again, as she glanced at the crumpled paper in her hand. "Kidnapping. There's been serial kidnappings in the west, and they want it stopped. I mean, duh, of course they do. Who wants a kidnapper lurking around?"

"Aw, I was looking at that one, too… Thought about using Lucy as bait," Natsu whined.

De'Vajell looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure _she_ would agree to that? Anyway, you should've been quicker, then. Snooze, ya lose."

Natsu stopped walking. He frowned at the girl. "Are you calling me a loser?"

Jeanne looked a little scared for a moment, before breaking out into a smile. "Of course not. After all, who was it that dealt the final blow that ended the battle last month?"

Natsu frowned some more. "What's with the fake smile?" he asked, poking her cheek. "Did I scare you?"

Jeanne rubbed the cheek he had jabbed. "Well, you can be rather foreboding at times, Natsu…" she muttered, walking back towards the station.

He frowned even deeper. He ran to catch up with her again. "But you know I'd never really try to hurt you, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Natsu, your strength, though amazing, is rather freakish. Don't look like that, the same holds true for most members of the guild. Yes, I know you would never want to hurt anyone, really, unless they deserved it. Your sense of justice is almost child-like. But not all of us can hold up to that. Some of us would die if we were ever on the receiving end of your dragon's roar."

Now Natsu raised a brow. "And yet, you would charge straight to the center of Fairy Law?"

Jeanne's face grew _really_ red. "Fairy Law eradicates enemies within a certain radius, but where I was at first wouldn't have been any different than if I was closer. I thought I could stop him before he did anything… Well, guess I didn't need to, after all! I just ended up looking like an idiot, huh?" She rubbed her head and laughed nervously.

"Not really," Natsu commented. "Even if it was unnecessary, I don't think it was idiotic. You tried your best, and that's all anyone can ask of you."

Jeanne smiled, a genuine smile, this time. "Well, unless you want to follow me onto the train, I suggest we say good-bye."

Natsu looked up. They had arrived at the station, and the train was boarding. He retched. "P-pass," he said, weakly.

The concealing mage giggled. "Thanks for the chat, Natsu. I'll see ya when I get back!"

He raised a limp hand in farewell, and she left.


	4. Laxus: A Night Out of Town (I)

He sat in the darkened corner booth, sipping his beer and keeping a watchful eye on the inn's other patrons. He kept his hooded cloak on, in case someone recognized him, and left his soundpods around his ears, though they were silent at the moment. He had heard rumors of a kidnapping ring around these parts, and he intended to get to the bottom of it. He thought that the duo on the other side of the room looked suspicious, but they had yet to say or do anything out of the ordinary.

He stiffened as he felt a magical presence. It was not particularly strong -if he was not specifically looking for any kind of magic-users, he probably would not have even noticed- but it was familiar. He heard the sound of a deep breath, and a whispered, 'you can do this...' As a figure stepped into the tavern, his senses were assaulted by the scent of plums and some sort of flower. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the girl standing in the doorway. She had a brown braid ending at the middle of her back, green eyes behind a pair of glasses, was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, and black cotton pants tucked into black soft-soled boots.

Jeanne Vajell.

No, wait. _De_ 'Vajell. _"The 'de' is a part of my name, sulky."_

Laxus Dreyer pulled the hood of his cloak forward a bit, making sure his face was well-covered. _'What the hell is she doing here?'_ he thought.

She looked around the room, her eyes lingering a little on the two men in the shadowy corner, and a bit more on his own booth. She had the slightest of frowns before she sauntered toward the bar with the most confidence he had ever seen her possess, taking a seat and giving the bartender her order.

"I'd like a rum and coke, please. Chilled, but no ice. It's been a rough day of traveling."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," the bartender replied. "Got some id?"

The hooded man smirked a bit. _'What was the kid thinking, ordering a drink like that? No way was she going to get away with it.'_

De'Vajell smiled as she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a card. The barman studied the card, then her face, before handing it back with a genial smile. "Twenty years old, huh?"

She nodded. "For about seven months now."

The bartender handed her a glass of her ordered beverage. "Would have thought you were older."

"Hmm, I bet you wish." She took a sip, and sighed in relief.

' _...What. The. Hell? Did the kid really just do that? Is this what she normally does outside of Magnolia? Underaged drinking? Flirting with men twice her actual age? What else does she get up to?'_ He took an angry swig at his beer.

She glanced around the room. Not many people were dining; besides the two occupied corners, there were maybe five other tables in use. "Not a very busy night tonight, huh?" she commented.

The bartender shook his head. "Nah, not normally. A little inn on a country road doesn't get a whole lot of attention. But, that's one of the things that make this place appealing. A nice, quiet spot with none of the traffic you'd hear in a city. And we're not very expensive."

Jeanne seemed very interested. "Wow, how are you guys not bankrupt?"

The barman laughed. "We seem to find a way to eke through. Enough weary travellers, I suppose."

She took another sip of her drink. "How do you guys protect yourselves?" she asked. "So far out in the country, wouldn't this place be ideal for a group of robbers to just ambush?"

He smiled. "Dogs, my dear. I have a couple of big ones that like to hang out in the back room. They are excellent guard dogs, and pretty damn good fighters, too."

De'Vajell's eyes twinkled. "Well then, do you have any vacancies now? With canine protection and inexpensive service, I guess you've sold me. Besides, after this," she gestured to her drink, "I don't think I should be going back out there alone in the dark."

The barman smirked. "You know what, lucky for you, we do have a couple rooms left." He walked to the back door, reached into the room and pulled out a key. "How does lucky number seven sound?"

"Sounds magical," she replied, accepting the key.

Laxus narrowed his eyes. Focusing his listening skills, he could hear both their heartbeats racing. Was it excitement? Anticipation? ...Arousal? Just what was she planning?

"So tell me, do you ever get regulars here? Either for the bar or the rooms?"

The bartender nodded. "Sure, a few. Those two over there," he pointed to the pair of men in the far corner, "they're here almost every night. Have been for about a month and a half now."

A month and a half? That was when the kidnappings had begun. He spared another glance across the room.

"And we have a few couples who like to come to celebrate anniversaries. Are you scouting the place out for maybe a weekend getaway?"

Jeanne blushed a bit, giggling like an idiot as she replied, "No, nothing like that. I'm afraid I don't have anyone to spend a weekend with."

The bartender looked surprised. "What? That can't be true! Surely, someone like _you_ must have _someone_."

 _'Oh, real smooth…'_ Laxus knew from the start he did not like this guy, and this sleazy attitude only cemented it.

De'Vajell shook her head. "Nope. I used to. But he started to get way too controlling. It was like…" Her voice grew soft, and her eyes saddened a bit. "Sorry, I shouldn't burden you with this."

"No, I'm sorry," the barman said, laying his hand atop of hers. _'Get your filthy mitts off of her…'_ "This was a recent thing?"

She gave a sad smile. "Feels like it…" She shook her head a bit before smiling. "But it doesn't matter. I'm probably better off forgetting him. Odds are I'll never see him again, anyway." She raised her glass in a silent toast, and finished her drink. "Well, I think I'll go check out my room now. Thanks for the drink. And for telling me about this place."

"No problem," was the reply. "Forgive me for not showing you to your room, but I gotta stay down here to keep things monitored."

"Of course, I understand."

"First floor, way down the hall. Number's on the door. When the bar's closed, I might come up to make sure everything's to your… liking."

 _'Sure you will… **Kuso hentai.** '_

Jeanne smiled. "Thanks, that's kind of you."

"It's just part of the job, miss."

"Oh, right. I guess it would be, wouldn't it? Well, thanks again. See you later, then." She placed a few Jewels on the counter, then walked across the room to the stairs, swaying slightly. _'What a lightweight.'_ Laxus watched her carefully. A small smile played on her lips.

Laxus was pissed. Was _this_ how she represented Fairy Tail? He may no longer be a member of the guild, but there was no way he would let her destroy his grandfather's name any more than it might be!

He downed the rest of his beer, and did his best not to slam the glass on the table. He tersely nodded to the man behind the counter before heading upstairs. He pulled out his own room key, and confirmed his number. Room six… coincidence, luck, or fate? Either way, that made his decision a lot easier.

Instead of going to his room, he strode right past it to number seven.

 _'Should I do this? Do I even have a right to interfere with her affairs?'_ he debated. _'...No. I may have made mistakes before, but I won't let her tarnish **Jiijii's** guild anymore.'_ With determination, he knocked on her door.

"Well, that was a lot faster than I expected," he heard her mutter, as footsteps reached the door. As she opened it, she said, "You didn't even give me a chance to- Laxus?" She gasped, her eyes widened, and she stepped back. She looked shocked to see him, even a little scared.

Well, he supposed she did have reason to… Their recent meetings were not exactly of the friendly sort. But, right now, he figured she deserved to get scared.

He let himself in and shut the door. She stepped back more, right against the wall, unconsciously holding a hand to her heart.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Funny, that's what I was going to ask you," he replied in a low voice. "The hell do you think you're doing in a bar, with a card that says your twenty? I'm pretty damn sure you're still under eighteen. Plus, what kind of ideas were you giving that guy?"

Jeanne frowned. "Hold up, you were down in the bar?"

"Don't avoid my questions," he growled. He marched up to her, towering over her in anger. She glanced for an escape route. Laxus thought back to months ago, the last time he confronted and pinned her to a wall. Back then, she blinded him and was able to get behind him. To avoid that, he grabbed the wrist hanging at her side and held it against the wall above her head. "What. The _fuck._ Do you think you're doing?"

Her eyes widened even more, and she began trembling. She clutched at her shirt even tighter. When she spoke, it was only a little more than a whisper. "I-It… It's a job."

Laxus paused for only a second. Then lightning began to crackle around his soundpods. "What kind of jobs is **Jiijii** allowing? You're telling me that you are acting on behalf of the guild? As if **Jiijii** would allow you to drink or flirt and practically offer yourself to a-"

He never finished his rant. He caught the glint of fury in her eyes, but was not prepared for her quick knee thrust to his gut. He doubled over a little bit, weakened for just a moment which she exploited by shoving him to the floor. She pinned his arms to his side, and kept them in place between her thighs and calves, straddling his waist. At the same time, she grabbed at her side, and her crossbow appeared out of thin air. The flight groove glowed with a golden light, and the end of the barrel was shoved below his chin. She kept herself from completely falling onto him with one hand on his chest. Her face was red and close to his, close enough to feel her heavy pants.

"It's not that kind of job, Laxus," she said in a low voice. "And if you were actually paying attention down there, you should've noticed that I didn't _once_ mention the guild, or even that I was a mage."

He should get her off. He could _easily_ push her off, with little to no effort. A little shock would be all that it would take. But, her shirt was a little loose near the neck, and he saw the thin red marks on her collarbone. He remembered two young men, angry brats, standing protectively in front of her, and one of them mentioning that she had a scar… because of him.

There was no way that he could ever use his lightning on her again.

Jeanne leaned back a little. "I'm gonna get off, and let's try to speak like civilised people this time, 'kay?"

He nodded, and she rolled off of him, reabsorbing the magic bolt in her crossbow. She re-latched the weapon to her side before offering him her hand. He raised a brow at it, and she quickly retracted it.

"Oh, right, like you would need my help," she muttered, glancing at the floor.

Laxus narrowed his eyes. First, she sashays up to a bar to flirt with a guy with confidence akin to Cana's, then she was terrified for her life like a scared little rodent, next she fought with a ferocity like Mira used to, and now she was back to the mumbling, shoe-staring brat he remembered her most as. What gives?

Sitting up, he eyed her weapon hanging from her belt. "Since when could you Ex-quip?" he asked, gesturing to it with his head.

Jeanne glanced down at it. "I can't. I've always had this, I've just been keeping it hidden. People tend to not want to talk to you if they can see you're armed."

"And just how are you able to knock me down? After a drink? Why the hell were you drinking in the first place? You're, what, sixteen?"

She crossed her arms. "Seventeen, but not for long. And that's not the first time I've had a drink, Laxus. I can hold my liquor."

"Wait, what?"

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Why are we even talking about this? What I do is none of your business."

"It is if what you do can tarnish the name of Fairy Tail."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!"

Laxus froze in shock, and Jeanne slapped a hand to her mouth. "I am _so_ sorry!" she said in a mortified whisper through her fingers. "That was totally uncalled for, and I-"

He held up a hand. "No, it's fine…"

"No, it's not!" she protested, holding her head in her hands. "I shouldn't have said that, especially since I had said that you've been forgive-"

"De'Vajell. It's fine."

There was a few moments of awkward silence before Jeanne sighed with resignation. "There's been quite a few kidnappings in the area. The mayor the next town over posted a job asking to find out what happened to the victims. Now," she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, "what are _you_ doing here?"

"Same reason as you, I guess," Laxus replied. "Heard about the rumors of kidnappings, thought I'd find out if there was any truth to them."

"Any luck?"

He shook his head.

"Have you asked around?"

Laxus scowled, but remained silent.

Jeanne smiled. "I suppose it helps if you talk to people. Here's what the mayor told me: the victims were all young ladies, travelling alone, and they disappeared somewhere between his town, and the one further south. This is the only building on the road between them. And I suspect the bartender."

He raised his brows in surprise. "That guy? Why him?"

"While I was, as you so delicately put it, 'flirting,' he was telling me quite a bit about this place. Not very many people come by, yet they're still afloat, due to 'enough weary travelers.' Plus, he has two guard dogs, which sounds to me like not only can they keep people out, but keep people in as well. Also, he was very keen on pointing out those two guys in the bar, mentioning that they'd been around since the kidnappings started. He's inadvertently putting the blame on them."

Laxus thought about her argument. "I don't know, it seems a bit of a stretch. Personally, I've been watching those other two all night. There's something off about them."

"Did they say or do anything?" she pressed.

He shook his head. "No, nothing concrete."

She nodded. "Yeah, same. Hopefully, I came across as harmless and tipsy enough for someone to try and make a move on me."

"What?!"

Jeanne jumped and snapped her hands up in a shushing motion. "Shh! What the heck was that?"

"You're trying to get _kidnapped?_ "

"Yeah, that's the plan."

Laxus could not believe what he was hearing. This _kid_ was going to try to take down a kidnapping ring? By _herself?_ By getting _kidnapped?!_

"I can't let you do that," he stated, standing up.

Jeanne frowned. "Why not? If they take me, I can find out where the other girls are hidden, and then I can get them out. It's better than following suspects around until some other poor girl gets taken. And, I'll try to make sure that I Conceal my bow."

"And if they find it anyways, and take it away?" he countered, stepping closer to her. "Or if you get caught while escaping? You could get yourself and those other girls killed. Or, what if they end up hurting you so you couldn't escape? What would you do then?"

"Look, believe me, all the worse-case scenarios have already popped into my head. I felt this was the best option. At the worst, if I can't get the others out as well, at least I could find out where they are and bring help to them."

Laxus shook his head. "I still can't let you go."

Jeanne looked straight at him. After a few beats, she said, "Why not? Why even care what I get myself into?"

Laxus stepped back a bit, and rubbed his neck. "If my grandfather ever heard that I just let you walk into a potential death-trap… I've already hurt so many of his 'children.' I may no longer be a part of Fairy Tail, but you're still **nakama**."

Jeanne smiled, though, he thought there was a sadness to it. It was quickly gone, though, as she shook herself and said, "Of course, that'd be your answer. You know, I suppose there is a way you could help out."

He looked up with questioning eyes.

"You could play bodyguard for the night, and if I actually do get captured, you could follow them and see where they take me. I'll find some way to escape, and meet you outside of wherever is it, or, if I take too long, you can play hero and come barging in, lightning blazing."

"Any chance we could think up of a plan that _doesn't_ involve you getting kidnapped?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't see that happening."

Laxus thought a bit. "What about we use you as bait, but don't let them take you anywhere? We'll just force them to-"

"I've thought about that," Jeanne interrupted, pushing him towards the door. "We wouldn't be sure if they'd take us to the girls. They could just feign ignorance and say that they're copycats, and I'd be their first victim."

He pulled at his hair a bit. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

She threw her hands in the air. "Again, Laxus, the best option." She opened the door for him. As he stepped out, she added, "But, at least now I have a reliable back-up. If they take the bait, give me twenty-four hours."

"What? That's too much!" he protested. "I'm going after you after five."

"Keep your voice down!" Jeanne hissed. "You need to assume that I'm going to get drugged. I don't know how fast I'll be able to wake up, but I think twenty-four hours is well enough. I'd rather not get caught in a hostage situation."

Before he could reply, she shut the door on him. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before walking next door to his own room. He fell onto his bed with a grunt.

 _'What did I just get myself into?'_

"Ugh, what did I just get myself into?"

Laxus sat bolt upright, searching for an intruder, ready for battle.

"I should have just insisted on doing this myself! It's not his business what I get up to, and it's _definitely_ not his business if I've gone drinking before! What the heck was that about? Oh, why didn't I just slam the door in his face when I saw who it was?"

A quick glance told him he was still alone, and he soon realized that the voice was de'Vajell's. It was reverberating a lot, but still sharp and clear. Apparently, she decided to panic in her bathroom, where the vent was connected to his, and opened.

"Because I didn't expect to see him ever again, that's why," she was saying. "And besides, any help is appreciated, and it could be a nice difference. But, yeah, getting up in my case for the drinking was weird. I mean, who does he think he is?"

There was a pause for a moment. Laxus listened closely. Did they come for her already?

" _No_." Jeanne's voice was brisk and stern. He could kind of picture her pointing at her reflection for emphasis. "Don't. Freakin'. Go there… Don't even dare to _think_ about that!"

Laxus frowned. _'Think about what?'_

"Okay," she sighed. "Just, focus on the mission. Get some rest, pretend you've been drunk. Act like bait. ...Gods, this is terrifying." He heard a deep, shuddering breath. "At least now you have someone to watch your back."

There was a sigh, then water began to run. A few splashes, and then footsteps before a soft 'thump' on a mattress. He lay on his own bed with a sigh.

 _'I guess de'Vajell prefers to speak in her own company more than others.'_ He gave a heaving breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. _'This kid is gonna be the death of me… Will she really be able to do this? Can I trust her?_

 _'Why does she trust me?'_

He lay there for a few hours, and woke up with a start. Next door was the sound of muffled tussling. He quietly sprinted to the bathroom for a better chance to hear what was going on. It sounded like de'Vajell had a hand over her mouth, but that was not stopping her from attempting to curse her attackers out. He clenched a fist; it was very difficult to not barge in and destroy those bastards.

Suddenly, de'Vajell's gagged protests ceased. There was the sound of two voices - _'Ha, kid, not the bartender!'_\- and then a clatter. More voices, and then dragging and footsteps quickly yet quietly down the hall. He waited two beats, then slipped out of his room, and slunk down the hall to de'Vajell's. That clatter bothered him.

He was surprised to find that the room looked barely touched. The only proof that the young mage was ever there, was her scent that still clung to the area, and her crossbow was left on the floor. He picked it up.

"Shit. I am _not_ waiting twenty-four hours."

Laxus sat down on the floor, holding de'Vajell's crossbow. He took a few deep breaths, and listened. If he closed his eyes, he could picture what was happening.

Footsteps down the stairs. The squeak of hinges from the counter opening. More footsteps, and another door. Dogs growling, the sound of something wet slapping onto the ground, and another door.

Laxus snapped his eyes open. She was not completely wrong, it seemed. Those dogs _were_ being used to guard something. He quickly stood up, and stealthily made his way down the hall. This wasn't quite his style; his size didn't usually allow it, but he could not risk them becoming aware of his presence, and then threatening to harm any of their hostages. When he reached the dining area, he quickly glanced around to confirm that no one was there.

He could no longer hear de'Vajell's kidnappers, but the dogs were snarling and growling, and tearing into something, so that probably drowned them out. He could not lose them. He jumped the counter, and carefully opened the backdoor. The dogs went silent. Another push. Loud growling filled the room.

 _'Great. No hiding from these guys.'_

He prepared his magic, threw open the door, and shot out two powerful electric shocks to the canines in the room. They went down with a whimper; unconscious, but for who knew how long? He looked around.

He was in an office of sorts. Across the door was a window, with the drapes closed, and a desk in front. All along the walls were shelves, filled with books and knick-knacks. To his left, in the middle of the wall, was a brick fireplace, with dying embers.

Laxus closed his eyes again, and inhaled. The scent of plums filled his nose, and it seemed to lead… straight into the fireplace.

 _'A hidden door, perhaps?'_

He quietly walked over to it, and indeed, felt a slight chill coming from the sides of the bricks. Not wanting to waste any time, he dug his fingers into the cracks, and pulled. The fireplace, with much creaking and groaning, slid to the side, revealing a dark tunnel of stone leading downward. De'Vajell's scent grew stronger, and he could hear voices bouncing across the walls.

"I'm coming for ya, kid."

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry! It took longer than I thought it would... I haven't finished the second part to this night, yet, and I'm not sure when that will come out. But anyway! Say hello to Laxus! Did you guys miss him? I mean, it's been three chapters of Jeanne's life without him; how did we survive? :P_


	5. Jeanne: A Night Out of Town (II)

Jeanne groaned as she struggled to open her eyes. She was not expecting the kidnappers to drug her so heavily, or use one so strong. Habitually, she reached for her crossbow. When her fingers only found her pant leg, she felt a little panicky. Had she been a bit more sober, she would have started frantically moving about. As it were, though, she merely lay on the stone ground, breathing slowly, and unable to move at a quick pace.

She concentrated, and muttered, "Conceal Magic: Dissolve." Silently, she began to disappear from view. _'Well, at least I've got that going,'_ she thought, reappearing. ' _Whatever they used has no effect on mages' actual power. Just their motor skills.'_

She was able to open her eyes a little, and through her lashes, she discovered that she was not alone. Six other young ladies were lying or sitting on the ground, most of them awake. One girl, a petite blonde sitting near her, was staring at Jeanne with wide eyes. She glanced around before leaning closely and whispering, "Did you just turn invisible for a moment? Can you do that? Or am I going crazy?"

The woman next to her, a taller, raven-haired one, reached over and lightly slapped the blonde on the arm. The younger one fearfully stared at her, before curling up in on herself. Jeanne frowned in confusion, looking at the darker woman questioningly. The woman drew her finger across the ground, writing in the dust. From her vantage point, Jeanne couldn't see what she scribed.

Jeanne grunted a bit, as she attempted to sit up. 'Blondie' lifted her head, and reached over to help support her. As she rose, her head reeled, and she nearly fell on her face. 'Raven' grabbed Jeanne's arm to steady her. Jeanne held her head in her hands. Then she realized something.

Her glasses were not on her face.

Her eyes began to wildly search the ground, but to no avail. She quickly snapped them shut.

 _'How did I not notice that everyone was blurry? Or their flippin' auras? What kind of drug was that?!'_

"My glasses!" she whispered, a little thickly. Her tongue was not quite ready to respond to her brain. "Did they bring me in with glasses?"/

"Shh!" said a voice near her. Jeanne assumed it was 'Raven.'

"No, you don't understand!" she softly cried, a little louder. The more she spoke, the clearer her mind got. "I _need_ my glasses! It's not a stupid cartoon reason, I really need-"

" **Ara** , are there ladies speaking in there?" A new voice, male, spoke softly. There was the sound of metal scraping against stone, and there were several gasps and the sound of scuttling on the ground. The hands on Jeanne's arms quickly retreated. Jeanne turned her head toward the speaker.

' _Ha, Laxus! That is definitely the bartender's voice!_

 _'...Okay, serious time. I have to open my eyes. I need to see to fight._

 _'Who am I kidding? I can't fight without my crossbow! I'm not_ that _good in combat, yet!_

 _'I need to at least hold on until Laxus comes. ...In twenty-four hours… Crap._

 _'But at least he will come.'_

So, with little confidence, she opened her eyes. The man in front of her was a complete blur, but one very noticeable feature was his purple hair.

 _'That_ is _his hair, right? Not an aura? Wait… no aura? This guy…'_

"Who are you?" She demanded, struggling to rise. Though the room tilted dangerously, she managed to stay on her feet.

"You don't need to know that," the man answered. "All you need to know, is that _I_ make the rules. And the rules are, stay silent!" Something dark flew out of his hands, heading straight for Jeanne.

Her first instinct was to dodge it, but she heard a whimper behind her.

 _'That's right… The girls are behind me. If I move…'_

She couldn't take that risk. Raising her arms to guard her face, she let whatever it was hit her full force.

Turns out, it was purple flames. So not only was it scorching, but it also had a solid form. In her weakened state, she was sent sprawling into the group of females behind her. Her sleeves were disintegrated to the elbow, her arms were blistered, and her left ankle was starting to ache.

 _'Oh, no, you don't! You're fine! It's all psychological!'_

"Oh, you decided to take the hit? Impressive," the man crooned. His voice sounded slimy, though he tried to cover it with charm and silk. "Though, I don't like ruining the merchandise, so, do try to not make me angry."

Jeanne glared at him over her injured arms, tears eking out, unwanted. She kept the inside of her left arm against her shirt, despite the burns screaming at her in protest. Many trembling hands held her sides, keeping her from crushing them, and offering silent comfort.

"Merchandise?" she echoed. Some of the hands twitched, urging her to kindly shut up. "What does that mean?"

A white blur started to grow in the middle of her assailant's face, indicating that he was grinning broadly. "I'm sure you're smart, **jou-chan**. You figure it out."

He turned around and left them on their own. Jeanne slowly stood up and turned, offering a silent smile of thanks to her helpers. She tried moving her arms, but immediately hissed in pain. Bubbles of pus were already starting to form.

' _Well, that's just great… Where are my glasses?'_

She swept her foot across the dirt in the dark, in a desperate search. After a short period of time, she felt an arm on her shoulder. Glancing to the side, she saw a slightly blurry 'Raven', with a small purple fog swimming around her head.

 _'Not many regrets on her,'_ Jeanne thought, focusing her attention on the brown eyes.

'Raven' tilted her head and mimed placing glasses on her nose. Jeanne nodded frantically, then screwed her face in a mask of pain as she held her head, indicating that she would have a huge headache to deal with later. Which wasn't entirely false.

'Raven' shook her head sadly. Jeanne frowned. Did that mean she wouldn't help, or that Jeanne came in without glasses in the first place?

 _'Great. No glasses, injured arms, and if I try to talk to these guys, that slime will return._

 _'...What if he came to an empty cell?'_

She crept over to the small group, and whispered, "Do any of you know the way out? Write in the dirt if you're too scared to talk."

A young lady with straight light brown hair gingerly raised her hand. She looked similar to how Jeanne imagined Elise to be as she grew older. Jeanne felt a pang in her heart as she was reminded of her sweet sister. The girl crawled closer and scribed her message.

 _"I woke up a little before they took me in here. I know at least part of the way."_

Jeanne nodded and held out her left arm. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail," she whispered very softly, revealing her guild mark. "I'm here to get you guys out."

Many eyes began to light up with hope, but a few stayed scared, and even upset. 'Raven' was in the latter group.

"How?" she breathed. "The gate is locked, and we'd be spotted immediately."

Jeanne furrowed her brow, looking at her boots, planning out her next words carefully. "I can hide you all for a limited amount of time, and my partner will come for us if we take too long. However, he's not exactly subtle, and I'm sure we'd all like to avoid any more… accidents." A few more girls were added to the 'scared' group. "So, it'd be better if we tried to get out on our own before he comes and someone tries to use us as leverage. But, like I said, I can only hide everyone for a limited time. I'd rather not waste any precious minutes searching for the exit. So," she turned to 'Not-Elise,' "are you certain you know at least some of the way out?"

She nodded her head fervently, and wrote. "I've been here for almost longer than anyone, and I've dreamed of escaping myself."

'Raven' started to laugh derisively, before smashing her palm over her mouth. For a few tense seconds, she listened for the tell-tale sounds of someone coming to check on them, before hissing harshly, " _I've_ been here the longest, little girl. You were only the third victim. And I _have_ tried to escape. You," she turned to Jeanne, "are very foolish to try to walk into hell and think you can walk unscathed. You think those are bad?" She gestured to Jeanne's blistered arms. "If you try to escape, you'll end up with this!"

She grabbed at the hem of her shirt, and pulled it straight over her head, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she turned her back to the group of ladies. Nearly everyone had softly gasped at the sight of the welts and half-healed blisters and scars scattered all about her back.

"Bora had warned me," she whispered, "that the next time I was caught escaping, he'd go straight for my feet. After all, it's a long way to travel where slavery is allowed, and we don't need to walk there." She slipped her shirt back on. "However, my sister was not as pliable as I. She attempted to escape twice more. I tried to stop her, but the third time she tried… He killed her." The last sentence was uttered so quietly, it was almost silent. Shaking tears from her eyes, she glared at the Fairy Tail member. "I _refuse_ to fool myself into thinking that freedom is available anymore."

Jeanne took a few moments to think about her next words. Finally, she took a deep breath, and whispered her chant. Silently, she again disappeared from view. Before much of her mana could be used, she released the spell, flickering back into sight. "I can extend my magic to all of you. I am sorry you lost someone, but I don't think she'd appreciate you rotting in here when you have an opportunity that she didn't. Now, I don't know about you, but I've got a house to pay for back home, a family to care for, and a guild to return to. I am _not_ going to be shipped off as merchandise any time soon. And there is no way I'm going to leave anyone behind."

"Why?" 'Raven' scathingly hissed. "Aren't we just a job? A precious bag of Jewels to help pay for your house? Spare me."/

Jeanne sent the older woman a withering glare. "What kind of human being would leave anyone behind to a life of slavery?!" she angrily whispered. "Now, I can't force you to come, but I'll be damned if I don't try to persuade you first! I'm getting out of here. Who is coming with me?"

She stood up and walked to the iron bars, looking expectantly at the small, fearful group before her. After a few seconds, 'Blondie' timidly stepped closer, standing beside the Concealing Mage with a tiny, hopeful smile. Shortly after, 'Not-Elise' skipped forward with an excited face. Soon, each of the girls were standing near their exit, except 'Raven,' who was frowning at the ground.

Jeanne stepped closer to her. "I know that the first step is always the hardest in anything, but I promise you, I'll get you out of here alive." She held out her hand, waiting patiently.

'Raven' looked up, eyes watery and terrified. But Jeanne inwardly gave a celebratory dance as she saw a glimmer of hope in those brown eyes. She slowly raised her arm, finally placing her hand in Jeanne's.

A loud explosion shook the cavern, causing many girls to shriek and stumble.

Jeanne spun around, racing to the bars, straining to look down the hall.

" **Merde**."

She whipped around to face the girls to face. "Okay, quick! Somebody hold my braid, and everyone else find some way to touch her, or somebody touching her. It'd be better if the chain was shorter, though."

They stared at her with blank faces. Jeanne repressed a groan as another loud crash shook the cave cell. "For Concealing!" she cried. "The closer you are to me, the less I have to stretch out the spell, so to speak, and the longer we could be hidden! Now quick!"

'Raven' grabbed Jeanne's hair, and everyone else crowded around her. Jeanne motioned them to move back, against the back wall. She waited for another explosion - which did not take long - took a deep breath, and screamed, "Help! Please! Someone! _The rocks!_ "

All the other girls jumped, some adding their own screams of fear, and Raven hissed, "What are you doing?!"

"Just wait."

Hurried footsteps soon echoed down the hall, and _then_ Jeanne whispered, "Conceal Magic: Hidden Allies." A warmth spread through her, but she could feel it extending past her hair, into 'Raven,' and through her, all the other girls touching her. She became acutely aware of all six of them, could feel their fear, and trust.

 _'I will make sure you get out of here,'_ she silently promised.

"What the hell?"

Someone had made it to their cell, and peered in to find it, seemingly, empty.

"Where'd they go?"

"Please," Jeanne whimpered. "Please, help us! We're here! Can't you see?"

'Raven' reached up to clutch at Jeanne's shoulder, squeezing it rather painfully. Jeanne lifted up her own hand, muscling through the pain of stretching her burned skin, to place a comforting hand and a gentle squeeze on the vice-like grip.

The guard unlocked the cell - Jeanne performed a celebratory dance in her head - and cautiously crept inside, looking all about for the girls.

"Let go," Jeanne breathed out to 'Raven.'

At first, the older woman clutched it tighter, before slowly releasing it. The moment she did, Jeanne sprang forward, barely visible, raising her knee up to snap her leg out, right between the man's legs. He fell to his knees with a groan, and Jeanne, now fully seen, performed a round-house kick to the side of his face. He was sent flying to his left, and hit his head on the rock wall. He fell down with a grunt, unconscious.

"Okay, now, let's get out of here!"

* * *

 _A/N: Hi guys! Sorry that this took so long! Honestly, once I put Jeanne in there... I had no idea what to do next! I was completely blocked until about two days ago, when I started writing out the scenes like crazy! And then I give you a cliff-hanger... Heh. .; Sorry, y'all! I just thought I shouldn't make you wait any more than I have. Hopefully, soon, I'll get back into the thick of the madness._

 _But thank you all so much for the reviews! It did help motivate me very much to get this done **well**. Because quality!_

 ** _Edit 7/13/16: I combined the beginning of the last chapter into here._**


	6. RE - Laxus: Distracted Fighting

Laxus grunted in satisfaction every time he sent a puny grunt soaring with his fist. He could sense the magic users in this den, but they have yet to come out. Not knowing how much of his own power he would have to use, he was conserving as much as he could by relying on his physical strength to take down the goons. It did not take much - weaklings - but there were just so damn many!

Using de'Vajell's crossbow as a club, he swept another wave of hirelings away from him, sending them flying. He underestimated just how large this kidnapping ring went. In the back of his mind, he wondered if the kid had even woken up yet.

Suddenly, a wave of dark purple came crashing towards him. He easily dodged it, leaping high while searching for this new attacker. He came across a slim man standing in front of the mouth of a tunnel with spiky dark blue hair, donning a dark cape. He had his hand raised, wisps of purple flames leaking from his fingertips. Laxus glanced back down. The group he was previously fighting had been swept away. Those who didn't pass out were carried by the conscious ones.

"You seem to have rid of your people for me, there," he casually remarked as he landed. Why hold such low regard for his own employees?

"If they were truly that weak, than I did them a favor," the man replied. "They never would be able to last against Laxus of Fairy Tail."

Laxus narrowed his eyes. So, this guy had heard of him, huh? But apparently did not hear about his shameful expulsion. Can he work this to his advantage? He took a deep breath, and did a double take. Not because he could finally smell de'Vajell again, but because he recognized this man's scent as the bartender's!

 _'Alright, maybe she was right about him.'_

The scent of plums grew slightly stronger. As did the smell of singed flesh. He frowned and discreetly began looking about, searching for the source. Straining to hear, he became aware of soft footsteps from multiple pairs of feet and panicked breathing. The sounds came from behind his opponent. The footsteps ceased, and a very, very soft _'Shh'_ reached his ears.

"And you think you can?" Laxus challenged the stranger, hoping to keep his attention on him, not behind. "I should warn you, kidnappers are high on my 'don't care if they die' list."

The man smirked. "I believe my skills can hold their own against the likes of you." His face transformed into a leer. "Especially against someone who was so weak, they were expelled from one of the strongest guilds."

Rage filled the Lightning Mage. He sent a powerful bolt of lightning towards the man who insulted him, who artfully dodged it. The ground where he had stood charred and cracked, and rubble began to rain from the ceiling. Muffled shrieks were almost lost in the clattering and rumbling.

 _" **Cet imbécile!** "_ he heard a voice mutter.

 _"Your partner was expelled?"_ a different voice breathed out, clearly full of distrust and disbelief.

"What are you looking at?" Another wave of purple rushed at Laxus. He easily avoided the wall of flames, and proceeded to send more of his own magic toward his enemy. Insulting him in such a way… there was no way in hell he going to get of this alive!

 _"Let's go."_ The voice, he now recognized as de'Vajell's, was creeping a little closer to where he came in. He had to keep the fight away from them… but how to know where they were?

 _" **Mou, ce sot va nous tuer, s'il n'est pas plus prudent…** "_ She was muttering darkly, but softly, just for his ears. _" **Et porquoi est-il pas tire l'arc?!** "_

 _"What are you saying?"_ the second voice hissed again.

 _"Shh! He can hear me, and take the fight away from us. But too much, and Bora will hear as well."_

Laxus growled. After seeing that glamor off, he thought he knew that scum's face. "So, you are Bora of Prominence?"

The man looked surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. " **Ara,** have you heard of me as well?"

"Yeah, actually. Natsu said you were weak."

Bora's eyes widened again, this time in fear. "The Salamander? You know him?"

"We were of the same guild, you peice of shit! And you wanna know something?"

 _"Don't end the fight yet, Laxus! We're not out of here yet!"_

"Natsu could never beat me!"

He rushed at the blue-haired fire mage, fist crackling with anger. Bora barely escaped the punch, but could not avoid the round-house kick. He was sent into the wall, which rained dust and bits of rock. The entire cave shook from the impact. Bora emerged from the cloud of dust, standing on his flames. He sent more of them Laxus's way, who transformed into a bolt of lightning and evaded every one.

 _"Almost there."_

Her voice was close to the exit, near the tunnels that either branched off into the inn's office, or back outside. At that moment, someone came running from tunnel on the other side,l where Bora had come from. His head was bleeding at the side.

"Boss!" he called out. "The girls are gone! One of them was a mage that could turn invisible! They've escaped!"

Laxus teleported behind the newcomer and knocked him out with one punch.

"You had a partner?" Bora yelled. "My merchandise!"

Laxus inhaled deeply. De'Vajell's scent was fading fast. It was probably safe to assume that she had made it.

"Now, nothing will hold me back." He let his fist crackle with electricity, and within one second, was in front of the kidnapper's face. " **Sayonara.** " He shoved his fist straight into Bora's face, shattering the slime-ball's nose. He grunted in grim satisfaction as the fire mage passed out.

The caverns began to shake and rumble, rocks began to fall all around. It seemed that all the fighting had finally caused the inevitable cave-in.

"Laxus!"

The Lightning Mage looked up. De'Vajell was back in cave's entrance, leaning on the wall as the ground lurched under her feet. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed that the sleeves of her shirt seemed to have been ripped off.

"Come on! Grab him and let's go!"

Laxus rolled his eyes. He knew that the proper thing was to take the sleazy mage into custody, but that did not make the desire to leave him buried in his own slave den any less tempting. He grabbed the two unconscious men as one would flour sacks, and teleported himself to de'Vajell's side. He glanced at her shaking arms, and saw bruises and third degree burns.

"Let's go."

WWW

Hours later, Laxus was seriously wishing that he had left Bora in the caves.

When Laxus and Jeanne exited the tunnels, there were Rune Knights completely surrounding them. Laxus had thrown Bora at their feet, and the commanding officer walked up for some routine questioning. A tall woman with dark hair had run to de'Vajell, and led her by the shoulders to a healer's tent.

It was far too many hours later when Jeanne and Laxus were escorted back to inn, exhausted.

As the two of them walked upstairs, Laxus glanced at the kid beside him. He had returned her crossbow, and it was back at its proper place at her side. Both her arms were bandaged and held in slings, and smelled heavily of honey and lavender, masking her own scent. Apparently the foolish girl had simply stood in place as the bastard attacked her with flames. And now, she was staring at the ground, refusing to look at him. Laxus frowned as he thought why that could be…

Oh, right. Moron…

"Oi."

She looked up, gazing straight into his eyes. She was actually squinting a bit, as though she couldn't see him clearly.

Which, of course, she couldn't. Not without the object he now held out to her.

"I found these shortly after I entered the tunnels. Luckily, they seemed to have survived all the brawling."

Jeanne smiled widely as she beheld her glasses in Laxus's hand. She moved as if to retrieve them, but was hindered by the slings. Sheepishly, she looked back up.

"Um, would you please…?" she softly began.

Laxus smirked as he opened the legs of the spectacles and gently placed them on her nose. He brushed away the strands of hair that had escaped her braid and were trapped between her cheek and the leg.

Jeanne's eyes darted back down to the floor. "Thanks for coming to get us," she said at his feet, cheeks slightly pink.

"Sorry I wasn't there sooner," came the smooth reply.

She smiled as she looked back up, saying, "Maybe if you had actually waited, like I said, I would've gotten them out _without_ causing a cave-in." The twinkle in her sea-green eyes told him she was not particularly upset.

He scoffed. "It's not a rescue mission from Fairy Tail if something is not destroyed."

Jeanne laughed freely, throwing her head back and closing her eyes in mirth. Laxus blinked in surprise as he racked his memories in vain for such a sound to come from her prior to now. "Perhaps," she conceded as she calmed down. "But I've yet to destroy anything in my two and a half years at the guild. I believe that was all you."

"You'll get there one day." He glanced at the door in front of them. "Are you gonna be okay tonight?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I think that as long as no one kidnaps me again, I'll be fine." She walked up to her door, and was about to attempt opening it, but he beat her to it.

"You sure?" he asked as he held the door wide for her. "I heard you tell the Rune Commander that you plan to get on the next train you saw back to Magnolia. Will you be able to manage with those injuries?"

Jeanne glanced at her bandaged arms before looking back up to him. "I'd like to get home as soon as I can, and the commander had offered to send a carriage here tomorrow morning to take me to the next town. Thanks for the concern, Laxus, but I'll be fine. It's not like I have a lot of luggage, right?"

She stepped into her room. But before she closed it, she turned back to him.

"Thanks again for the help, Laxus. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it so quickly without you. Do you wanna come up with me to collect payment from the mayor?"

Laxus waved away her offer. "It was your job, your plan. I don't need it, and you earned it." Besides, didn't she use the money to help her parents? He was pretty sure that was the case…

Jeanne looked as though she would have liked to insist, but ultimately decided to drop it. Instead, she smiled up at him. "Well, goodnight, then. And just in case I don't see you tomorrow morning, good bye."

He turned away. "Yeah, be seeing ya, kid."

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her visibly twitch. He waited for maybe a second before she used her foot to close the door. He frowned a bit, wondering what had happened. He opened his own door when he heard her voice, so quiet she had probably not meant for him to hear.

"My _name,_ is Jeanne de'Vajell. Remember that. It's the name of a member of Fairy Tail."

Laxus frowned deeper as those words brought back memories from a decade ago.

 _She spun around, hands on her hips. "My name is Jeanne de'Vajell. Remember that name! It's the name of someone who will be in Fairy Tail, as well!"_

Well, it had certainly taken her long enough… From what he had gathered, she was planning on joining his - the guild after she had gained the ability to completely conceal herself. When he met her ten years ago, she was already pretty close. Not for the first time, he wondered what had taken her so long. Did it have anything to do with her reluctance to look at anyone without her glasses?

 _"Besides, I really don't need to see your weakest moments, again."_

He had heard her say that months ago. He had his suspicions on what that could mean, but no way to confirm it. What the hell happened that made her so scared to speak her mind to his face? He thought back to when he was fighting Natsu in the cathedral back in Magnolia. After Rocko had contacted everyone, for some reason, he Natsu put their battle on pause, listening to their plans to destroy the Thunder Palace. The kid was there, too, and he remembered her shaking violently as she screamed at Rocko to take his magic off of her... What was so terrifying in her head?

As feelings of guilt began to creep up as he started recalling all that had happened after that moment, he shoved away the rest of his memories. Instead, as he lay on his bed, he thought about her last words behind his back.

"Jeanne…"

Well, the strong child had certainly grown stronger. Fairy Tail was definitely better off having her as a member.

* * *

 _A/N: Well, Laxus' story is finally done. There might be one more story to tell before we get back into the canon-verse, I'm not sure yet._ _Please tell me what you think, and if I can get better! What did you like about this? Hate about it? I accept all helpful criticism!_

 _Oh, and translations for Jeanne's mutterings:_

 _"That imbecile!"  
"Mou, this fool is going to get us killed if he isn't more careful... And why isn't he firing the bow?!"_

 ** _Edit 7/13/16: I combined the beginning of this chapter with the end of the last._**


	7. Mirajane: Gentle Rebukement

Mirajane Strauss smiled contently as she delivered drinks to the tables. Morale was high, and people were cheering up, willing to forget all that had transpired between them during their minor civil war. Feeling a familiar magical presence, she delivered her last drink and turned to the guild's entrance. Jeanne de'Vajell stood there in the doorway, smiling happily at her, but oddly, not waving excitedly as usual. Mira returned the smile briefly before starting in anxiety. Jeanne's arms were bandaged all the way to her elbows! Jeanne noticed the facial change, and smiled sheepishly as she made her way toward the bar.

"Hey, Mira- **san**. **Tadaima**."

"Jeanne- **san** , what happened?" She quickly placed the empty tray on the counter and rushed to the returning mage. "This is the first time you've come back from a quest injured! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Jeanne shrugged. "I just got burned. The leader of that kidnapping ring was that Bora of Prominence guy. Purple flames, plus no defense, equals singed arms."

Mira looked up from her inspecting to stare in disbelief. "'Singed?' Jeanne- **san** , these are serious! There are third degree burns on here!"

"Mira- **san** , really, if I had a choice in the matter, they wouldn't be here," Jeanne muttered, and she tried to shrug away, but Mira was having none of that.

"Come in the back with me, we'll get some better stuff than what you have on." The white-haired mage gently pulled the younger one along as she walked to the back room of the guild. It seemed to be an office/store-room. Cupboards of shelves held extra dishes, some medicinal jars, and cabinets held files of paper, and some books that Jeanne remembered Mirajane pulling out to write down quest information.

Mira continued, "Because of Natsu, and before him, Macao, Master has some high-grade burn medicine for us to use. It should help your arms heal much faster than whatever you're using now. Where did you get them treated?"

"Rune Knights," was the distracted answer. "Apparently, the night I decided to rescue the girls coincided with the night they did, too. According to the Knight Commander, we almost ruined their own raid. Ha," she scoffed as Mirajane unwound the bandages with a grimace. "I think we did them a favor. They had a guard close by who could have _easily_ used us for leverage. And they were all so scared, I had to do some serious persuading to convince them to come with me."

Mira paused as she placed the old bandages on a table. "'Used _us_?' Jeanne- **san** … what does that mean? Why would _you_ be used for leverage?"

Jeanne shifted and glanced guiltily to the side, but remained silent. Mira's eyes hardened and narrowed.

"Jeanne- **san** , I want you to tell me _exactly_ what happened during this quest. And leave nothing out."

Jeanne stared at the older mage for a few seconds in shocked surprise before huffing like a child. "How 'bout this? I just give you the nitty-gritty basics you all of a sudden seem to want so much. I _let_ myself get kidnapped in order to be taken to the girls."

"Jeanne!" Mira looked horrified as she unscrewed the jar of the balm. "How could you allow that! Putting yourself into a dangerous situation on your own?! What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that was the quickest way to get inside the ring," Jeanne defended, refusing to make eye contact again. "And besides, I wasn't alone… Laxus was there."

"Laxus?" The lid was dropped. "You saw Laxus?"

"Yeah, turns out, he was looking into it too. We met up, planned it all, and we saved them… Easy… ish." She shrugged.

"Jeanne- **san,** " she replaced the honorific as she slathered Jeanne's arms with the salve. "Are you trying to tell me that _he_ planned to have his **nakama** taken into a dangerous situation, by a known slave-trader?"

"No, Mira- **san** , of course not. Neither of us knew that that Bora bastard was the ringleader. And besides, the whole thing was my idea. I was going to do it before I even knew he was there. And trust me, he didn't like it either. But I didn't really give him much of a choice."

"Oh, Jeanne- **san** , _why_ would you think that it was a good plan?"

"They were saved, weren't they?"

"Yes, but at the near cost of what? Your freedom, your _life_?" Mira pressed. Jeanne had to understand how much danger she was actually in. "What if he wasn't there? Would this still have worked?"

"Not in the same sense, Mira, but probably. Remember, the Rune Knights were there that night, too."

"You're missing the point!" Mira cried exasperatedly, winding new gauze around the burns. "To willingly put yourself into danger such as that-"

"Mira, that's what _everyone_ does!" Jeanne interrupted. She gazed at Mirajane with eyes pleading for her to understand. "Everyone here puts everything on the line to help others. Why should I be the only one who stays behind?"

"The difference, Jeanne- **chan** , is you were planning on doing this _alone._ "

Mirajane and Jeanne whipped around to face the door. Master Makarov was standing in the doorway, face grim as he looked at de'Vajell.

"Master?" Jeanne tried to stand, but Mira pushed her down as she finished tying off the bandages. "How long were you there?"

"Not long, child. Right when Mira- **chan** asked you why. I've just finished reading the report the Council sent me. And while it is true," the old mage continued, "that everyone puts everything on the line to help, it is also true that they place everything on _each other_ as well. That's why people form teams. To trust each other to help with what we can't do on our own. You planned to try to take down a kidnapping ring from the inside with no help at all?" He shook his head. "That could have gone very badly very quickly. It was pure luck that the knights were there to help in the first place."

Jeanne frowned. "The knights? Master, what did the report say?"

He waved a hand. "The usual junk. One of our mages interrupted an official case, and destroyed property. I don't know whether to be disappointed that you've finally done something to be noticed by the council, or proud."

De'Vajell shook her head. "That wasn't me, Master. I didn't destroy anything. And the knights only came when all the work was done, they were no help. That was all Laxus."

Makarov's eyes widened. "Laxus? He was there? Did he help you?"

Jeanne nodded. "He was doing some surveillance, and saw me come in. He confronted me in my room, and I told him my plan. Believe me, he did _not_ like it. At all. He actually jumped the gun, anyway. I told him to give me twenty-four hours to come up with something, but the **crétin impatient** didn't even give me one! He ended up being the perfect distraction, anyways, so I can't complain."

Mira glanced at the master. He looked as though he was dying to ask something, but was using all his self control to keep it to himself. Jeanne might have noticed though, because her next words were gentle.

"He's doing fine, Master. He actually seemed a lot less… prickly than I had seen him in years. He got furious at me when he thought I was tainting _your_ name, and refused to accept any payment for what he did. That really bugged me, too. I really couldn't have done it without him, but he said that since it was my plan, he didn't want it…"

Master shook himself. "Which brings us back to our previous discussion. Jeanne, do you realise what danger you were in? How everything could have gone had you been alone all the way?"

Jeanne brought herself up. "Yes, Master. Every possible worst case scenario popped into my head on the way to the inn. But I also remembered every time someone else did something. When Macao took down nineteen Vulcans _alone_. When Erza destroyed half of the Thunder Palace, _alone_. When Wakaba shut down that counterfeiting ring, _alone_. When Cana defeated that one gang in Clover, _alone_."

Mira giggled. Perhaps it was inappropriate for the time, but she couldn't help it as she thought about _how_ Cana had defeated them. "I'm not sure that last one counts, Jeanne- **san**. All she did was challenge them to a drinking contest."

Jeanne snorted, and Master chuckled, but they quickly sobered up as Jeanne continued. "The point is, everyone here has pushed themselves to do their best. And they also seem to have done a thing _on their own_. I've always hidden in the shadows, watching others, sneaking about, and always staying safe. How can I possible get better if I don't even _try_ to find out what my limits are?" She shuffled her feet a bit. "I also have always done things for my family. And while that isn't going to change any time soon, I just wanted to do something for _me._ "

Mira and Master shared a look. They could understand her reasoning. And she seemed to understand the danger she was in. And they really couldn't stop her from trying to push herself for once.

But that didn't mean that she could get away without rebukement.

Master sighed. "Jeanne- **chan** , as long as you understand what could have gone wrong, and just how _lucky_ you really are…"

"Master, really," Jeanne looked a little hurt. "Like I told the girls, there was no way in hell I was going to allow myself to be shipped off as merchandise. I have a house to pay for, a family to care for, and a guild to return to… As if I'd let some slimeballs keep me away from all that." She frowned a little. "If… if I _didn't_ though…"

Mira smiled, and Master placed a hand on Jeanne's knee. "Jeanne- **chan** , if you hadn't returned, rest assured, we wouldn't rest until we had found you. And I'm sure that your family would feel the same. I am proud that you've returned triumphant. I hope you've learned from this quest, and that you'll allow your lessons to help you grow stronger." He gave her knee a little squeeze before turning and leaving the room.

Mira sighed. "Well, I've finished your arms. You should come back tomorrow, and we'll see if we need to reapply, or if you've healed." She paused a bit. "Jeanne- **san** , I'm proud of you, too. But really, we have to make sure that you're well aware of the danger that you're going to put yourself through. We can't condone any reckless behavior, no matter your reasoning."

"Mira- **san** ," Jeanne started. "Thanks for the concern, but believe me. I am absolutely aware of what can go wrong. If something happened to me…"

They shared a look, and Mira understood. Jeanne knew, because she knew of everything that she had to lose. She sixteen somethings to lose if anything went wrong in her missions.

"I want to be able to protect _everyone_ dear to me, Mira- **san**. Both in my blood family, and magical family. I wasn't much help when Lucy's father hired Phantom Lord, and I couldn't do anything when Laxus rebelled. I _never_ want to be in those kinds of situations again. And to ensure that, I _need_ to get stronger. And to do _that_ , I need to find out just how strong I am."

Mira gently embraced the concealing mage. "I know that you'll get stronger, Jeanne- **san**. But please remember, it is okay to lend your strength to others, and to let them lend theirs to you."

Jeanne couldn't use her arms to return the hug, so she simply laid her head on Mira's shoulder. "But, Mira- **san** , first and foremost, I need to know how much I can lend."

The injured mage gently pushed away the Take Over mage, and gave her small smile before heading out of the room. Mirajane looked after her with a small shake of the head. Ever since the incident three years ago, and Mira had blocked most of her magical powers, she assumed a role of 'older sister' among the younger mages here. Some people, such as Natsu and of course her actual younger brother, seemed to pull out this personality more so than others. But others didn't really care for being taken care of. Even if they seem to need it more than they realised.

Jeanne de'Vajell, the eldest in a family of thirteen, was definitely in the latter category.

* * *

 _A/N: And with this, we've finished with Jeanne's "Little Openings." I want to thank you guys for reading this and sticking with it! Thank you all so much for the faves, follows, and reviews! Soon, we'll get into the canon universe, but I've got to figure out her role first._

 _Any questions? Comments? Critiques? Please let me know! Love you guys!_


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